Paper feed mechanism



Feb. 16, 1943.

2 Sheets Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 15, 1941 FIG! as 0 204 G O Y O III,

'INVENTOR JOHN MUELLER AT TORPI Feb. 16, 1943. J. MUELLER 2,311,456

PAPER FEED MECHANISM Filed Oct. 15, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 4

INVENTOR OHN MUELLER ATTORNEY A 4 000 0 4 00 0 78 w m B u 05 5 l l D572 4 D 5 7 4 S w & s w T T N v. N .D U L w w w M v A A m J E n n D A D E u E D U D T z c m 0 0 E; M w w 3. 5 1 5 72 6 WY 5 52 BM m E M "M m mm w w M A N m M a w o w VW 5 E JmE 5 E MOE G G 7N G G .....N N m R m R m DY H M w M h C E G Rm Y RC R L m w. T H R H M CS T o TEAN EE ELGO M M ME M Patented Feb. 16, 1943 2,311,450 PAPER. man mzcnmsm John Mueller, North Bergen, N. 1., mumto Remington Rand Inc., Buffalo, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application October 15, 1941, Serial No. 415,078

2 Claims.

This invention relates to the feed mechanisms of machines adapted to handle forms or sheets, and in particular to the drive for the feed mechanisms of record controlled accounting or similar business machines.

The invention has for its object to feed forms or sheets of paper from a given source to any desired position, a distance which may be varied by the operator to suit different conditions.

Although a variable length form feed can be used in many types of machine, one use and one construction in particular will be selected to illustrate the invention. It will be considered in connection with a Powers tabulating machine, and in a like manner was shown, but not fully described, in my Patent No. 2,274,088, issued February 24, 1942, of which this is a continuation in part. When thus employed in a tabulator, the present invention is in the form of an adjustable long feed mechanism.

Under ordinary circumstances, forms or sheets of paper are fed by a picker mechanism from a magazine to the initial feed rollers of a long feed mechanism, the other feed rollers of which convey the sheets to a definite printing position on the platen. The present drive mechanism is adjustable, however, so as to prolong or de-- crease the length of the long feed operation.

A principal feature of the invention, therefore, is a simple driving means which may be adjusted to vary the length of the long feed.

Other objects and structural details of the invention will be apparent from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the head unit of a tabulator, showing the adjustable long feed mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a detail side elevation with parts broken away showing the cooperation of parts of the long feed mechanism with the operating gear of the platen and the feed roll mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a detail end view of Fig. 2; and

Fig, 4 shows two bills of a utility company, illustrating various lengths of long feed operation for which the present invention may utilized.

In considering the present device in connection with a Powerstabulating machine, only such parts of the latter are shown as to give a proper understanding of the invention as used in this instance. It will be seen, then, from Fig. 1, that a retainer I00 is provided from which a picker mechanism, generally indicated at IN,

the initial feed rollers (not shown) of the long feed mechanism. The initial and other feed rollers (also not shown) of the long feed mechanism, and the platen 2|, are driven by a system of cooperating gears "-88, inclusive, and 202- 20!, inclusive, from a drive gear 200, mounted on a stub shaft 2M. It is the extent of rotation of gear 200 which determines the length of the long feed, and it is the means for driving gear 200 which constitutes the present invention The gear 200, and consequently the feed rollers and the platen, are driven from main operating shaft 31 of the tabulator. A gear 2|2 (Fig. 1) is loosely mounted on the shaft 31, and is provided with a hub upon which is pivotally attached a spring-pressed dog 2|!. The dog 2|! has a tooth 2|! adapted to engage a notch 2|l in a clutch sleeve 2|! fixed on the shaft 31, and has a tall 221 by the cooperation of which, with a pivoted latch 2|9, the dog 2|! is ordinarily held out of engagement with clutch sleeve 2|! against the action of its spring. To permit dog 2|! to engage sleeve 2|! and thus cause the gear 2 I! to be rotated, latch 2|! must be tripped, and to accomplish this linkage 22|-22l is provided to connect latch 2|! with the front total shaft 220. When a change of designation is sensed in the card sensing chambea'the total taking control mechanism operates, rocking shaft 220 counterclockwise, thus actuating the connecting linkage 22l-224. Latch 2|! is, therefore, tripped, and dog 2|! is spring-pressed into a position to engage clutch sleeve 2|. Since time must be allowed for the taking of a total, notch 2|! is located degrees around the periphery of clutch sleeve 2|! from the dog 2i!, and consequently clutch sleeve 2|! revolves a half revolution before engagement between the tooth 2|! and the notch commences rotation of gear 2". During their period of inactivity the various pats are held in position by means of a spring Cooperating with gear 2|2 is a gear 2|, mounted on a stub shaft and secured in position by a set screw 2|4A. By means of this set screw gear 2|! can beremoved from mesh with gear 2|2, and its relative position changed by hand. It is in this way that the long feed mechanism may be adjusted, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

The means by which rotation of gears 2i! and 2i! is converted into a long feed movement consists of two similar trains of driving connections connecting the gears with the drive gear feeds single sheets of paper one at a time to I! 2!! of the feed rolls and platen (Figs. 1, 2, and

3). Pivoted respectively to gears Ill and Ill are pitmans Ill and III, the other ends of each of which are pivoted to plates Ill rotatably mounted on stub shaft III on either side of gear I. The plates "I each carry a freely mounted pinion Ill, eonstantlyin mesh with gear "I and having a ratchet I iixed thereto. Pivotally mounted pawl III on each of said plates is spring-pressed into engagement with the ratchets when, therefore, the gears ill and ill are rotated and the respective pitmans Ill and III are actuated to oscillate the plates III in a counter-clockwise direction, ratchets III are held from rotation by pawls II. and so, too, are the pinions I. It will be seen that movement or plates Ill in a counter-clockwise direction will cause the gear ill to rotate in a similar direction, since the pinions "I will then be locked in engagement therewith. But when gears Ill and Ill have rotated to the extent of effective oscillation of pitmans ill and III in a counterclockwise direction, upon continued rotation of the gears the pitmans will return in a clockwise direction. The plates will be oscillated in a similar direction, but pawls III will ride over ratchets Ill and accordingly pinions I will rotate about gear I".

As has been mentioned before, it is possible to change manually the position of gear ill relative to gear III by loosening and resetting screw INA, so that eil'ective movement oi the driving connection of gear 2 I can be varied with relation to the definite eii'ective movement of the driving connection of gear ill. Such eifective movement of gear ill will continue after completion of the eflective movement of gear ill, to produce a continuous additional drive of the feed roll mechanism. The pinions "I are so situated relative to each other (Fig. 3) that counter-clockwise rotation of gear "I will be at all times continuous.

In this speciilc instance, then, sheets of paper are fed from a retainer to the initial feed rollers of the long feed mechanism by a sheet picker mechanism. The gear 2 is set to produce the desired length of long feed, and the sheets are conveyed to a printing position on the platen. Whenever it becomes necessary to change the length of the long feed,- the gear III is again adjusted to produce the proper length of feed.

In Hg. 4 will be "in of a utility company. thebillwasfedto position,fortha tricity. Inthe second toplaeetheaecondlinein mechanism might be put.

Whilelhave described whatloonsidertobe a platen, a gear associated with said platen and adapted to be driven to advance the platen, a pair of oscillatable members associated with said driven gear, a pair of driving gears, links connected to said respective members and eccentrically connected to said driving gears with diilering degrees of eccentricity, and means on the respective members and engaging the periphery of the driven gear to move the driven gear only when the members are moved in a given direction.

2. A paper feed mechanism which comprises a platen. a gear associated with said platen and adapted to be driven to advance the platen, a pair of oscillatable plates associated with said driven gear, a pair of driving gears having the same angular speed, links connected to said respective plates and eccentrically connected to said driving gears with differing degrees of eccentricity, connected ratchets and pinions on said respective plates, said pinions constantly in mesh with the periphery of the driven gear, and pawls on the plates engaging the ratchets to permit movement of the pinions only when the plates are moved in a given direction, one of said driving gears being adjustable to permit the eccentricity of its link to be varied at will.

JOHN MUEILER. 

